Couldn't find an answer: does the inside coach thermostat have to have the diesel furnace on in zones 1 and/or 2 in order for heat to go to the basement heater, or, if required by the basement thermostat, will there be heat if just the electric element in the Aqua Hot is on?
Thanks.

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Take a cup of ice and temporarily stick the bulb from the basement ceiling thermostat in the ice. That way you will know for sure. It should be wired to the 3rd thermostat and has its own circulation pump.

On our Allegro Bus (I would think that all Aqua Hot installs are similiar) when the basement heat thermostat calls for heat, the circulation pump runs and the blower on the basement heat module calls for heat. The diesel burner does not need to be on, the electric element produces enough heat to keep the boiler temperature warm enough to keep the heat running in the basement.

That is the same question I had, so I had checked it out, with use. Joe has it correct. All that is needed for the basement system to work is, a heat source at the boiler, electric, diesel or (I think, haven't checked, running down the road) engine heat. There is no need for the thermostat to be set on for either zone.

There is an adjustable thermostat in the basement it has a black knob on it. Mine is on the ceiling behind the water tank. It is hooked to the control board as the "fresh water tank heating zone". It will circulate under any of the 3 conditions if the thermostat calls for heat. Diesel, Electric or Motor aid( main diesel running down the road).

Mine comes on at about 40 degrees it has been a long time since I checked it so 40 is just a guess.

Thanks all for thoughts and suggestions. Some time ago I did find the basement thermostat - also found out that the knob was "frozen" at some point - could not turn it at all. I do keep a remote thermometer in the basement. This morning, it's 39 outside here in Kerrville and the remote in the basement is showing 51. So the heater must be doing something down there in the 40-50 range. And that's with just the electric on the Aqua Hot.
All is good. Well, that is, except for it being 39 outside - but here comes the sun over the hills.

I didn't know the exact answer to your question David, although we've never worried about it as we don't normally keep the hydro-hot diesel running overnight unless it's going to be in the 20s or below overnight, and we have camped many, many times in the teens with no problem. Even in the coldest weather we often leave the diesel off for at least a few hours at night.

We've also noticed that the inverter does a fine job of keeping the basement warm. That might be why you are seeing 51 in the basement because I think the hydro-hot heating is more to keep it around 40.

Wayne taught us a neat trick in terms of warming the coach at night if you wanted to conserve on heating. By keeping the sliding door closed, you can let the living area get pretty cold (well down into the 50s), and the bedroom will stay perfectly warm enough for comfortable sleeping - which for us is in the high 60s.

We just don't like to run the diesel all night if we don't have to.

Also, our bedroom heating has become more efficient since we cut a hole in the foot of the bedstand to provide a cold air return for the hydro-hot heating fans - it makes a huge difference in terms of the volume of hot air flow. This issue wasn't addressed until the much later model Alpines (2007 or later?) There is an old thread about our fix somewhere.

Anybody familiar with the basement heater connections at the HH control panel. I suspect mine has never been connected. Looking at the HH installation manual, it should be connected to Fan4/thermostat 4 but I have nothing connected here. I am trying to trace the wiring from the basement heat exchanger & thermostat back to the control panel. WRV had this wiring all screwed up when I took delivery of the coach and had a heck of a time getting anything to run.

Basil, My 05 has the basement heater wired to zone 3. I do not believe it matters if it is 2,3 or 4. all 3 of these zones are supplied hot antifreeze from circulation pump 2. Zones 1 and 5 are supplied hot antifreeze from circulation pump 1. That is according to the installation manual.

A problem could arise if it was wired to 1 or 5 and on loop 2 for circulation of hot antifreeze. **** I better go check mine I know the fan comes on in the basement but I never checked to see if it put out heat. Because of where the basement heater is it could very easily be plumed to loop 1. That is easy enough to check just verify if the lines are hot when zone 2 is on. If not move the fan wires to zone 5 so it activates circulation pump 1.

I kind of threw WRV a curve when I added a 3rd AC unit which puts 3 zones on the thermostat instead of the normal two.

Zone 1 is the front AC and 3 HH heat exchangers in the living area.

Zone 2 is the middle AC and 1 HH heat exchanger in the bathroom. They did not put thermostat wires at the HH for this zone so I have the fan connected with the bedroom until I can find the wires. They would not be in a normal wire bundle so I suspect they do not exist.

Zone 3 is the bedroom AC and 1 HH heat exchanger.

I plan to put the basement on the #4 position on the HH control panel once I find the ends of the wires to the basement heat exchanger and thermostat.

For what's it worth, I have never been able to locate my basement thermostat to control the heat. I do know that if I run my front zone and increase the temp setting for it that my basement goes up by the same number of degrees. I can find the fans and unit next to my fresh water tank but in tracing all of the wires they just go back to the hydro hot panel. I can tell you that I have been in 10 degree weather and it works fine.

Basil, It probably would be worth the effort to verify they put the basement heat exchanger on heating loop 2. If it is on heating loop 1 you would need to hook it to zone 5. I am going to check and see what zone my basement is on.

When it is below freezing I have both heating loops running so it probably does not matter that much.

I have never been able to locate my basement thermostat to control the heat. I do know that if I run my front zone and increase the temp setting for it that my basement goes up by the same number of degrees.

On my 2006 40' Apex FDQS, the basement thermostat is located next to the water pump.

It is strange that your basement heats when you turn on the front zone which is loop 1/pump 1. According to the WRV owner's manual and the HH installation manual, the basement heat exchanger should be plumbed into loop 2/pump 2 on the rear zone. Heck, at least it works. Mine doesn't. Not a problem because if it is that cold, I'm not going.